CHAPTER 745: CHAPTER 744: WAR DRUMS BEAT (PART 2)

"Sand pot?"

"Looks like it, but what’s with those double-eared air holes?"

"Somewhat familiar, let me think..."

The big shots present had varied expressions, yet the Tiqie family’s group, with words stuck in their throats, had particularly odd facial expressions.

Even the Xiānzúowèimén’s eyes betrayed his surprise.

Wasn’t this the steam-cooked sand pot? The core cooking utensil for Demon King Ramen!

"Steam-cooked pot!"

In an adjacent room, Yan Qi was astonished. "Are they planning to make soup in the sand pot?"

Xia Yu answered with her actions.

Shrimp—the tiger shrimp, its shell garishly colored like a tiger, hence the name.

No need to peel, just clip off the tails and heads with scissors, wash off the sand, and place them in the sand pot, two or three would do.

Scallops, clams, mussels—these had been processed when stored in the inventory; Xia Yu didn’t need to handle them tediously and could directly toss them into the sand pot with the tiger shrimp.

Fish fin!

Kelp!

Cuttlefish!

The kelp was steamed knot of kelp which could also go straight into the pot, whereas the cuttlefish required a bloodier preparation. With knife in hand, Xia Yu swiftly cut; on the chopping board, a cuttlefish still trying to climb was severed, its tentacles twitching with crisp snaps.

Opting only for the tentacles and not the more delicate cuttlefish meat, Xia Yu had her reasons.

By now, glancing at the sand pot, one could see a dazzling array of seafood inside, but there was still some space left. Xia Yu placed a gently marinated and lightly fried fish fin on the very top.

It wasn’t over yet.

"Tomato sauce, a can!"

"Heavy cream, two big spoons!"

"Salt, cooking wine, black pepper..."

The array of bottles and jars on the table seemed haphazard, but Xia Yu’s utility of them was extremely systematic. Without lifting her head, she could accurately grasp any spice she wanted, and without measuring cups or such, she effortlessly dosed the spices, precise to the milligram as per her need.

Seeing this, an admiring voice came from the judge’s seat: "Flowing like the clouds and water!"

Master Yizhen highly praised.

"Yes, this composure can’t be feigned. She has mastered the kitchen and..." the Master of Yuchuan Temple nodded, glancing towards Lei Zhe, who was preparing the egg liquid and boiling the water in an another pot, "not everyone can face the oppressive force of a veteran Lin giant head-on and still perform so calmly!"

Chiyoda smiled, saying, "I know that type of pot, a very classic piece of traditional Chinese kitchenware, mainly using the technique of ’steaming’ to slowly simmer a pot of rich soup."

Among the four giants, Xiānzúowèimén’s expression became increasingly odd, with a hint of shock and confusion.

A steam-cooked pot was one thing.

Just a few days ago, he had witnessed Xia Yu using this utensil to cook a qualifying Demon King Ramen.

But, you should know, not any ingredient or recipe is suitable for the steam-cooked pot as the main cooking tool, particularly, Xiānzúowèimén’s detection of a strong familiarity with the ingredients stacked in the pot made him slap his thigh: "This is outrageous!"

In a corner of the room.

Far Moon Director big shots Kasuga Shigeru and Kikuchi Musashi whispered in astonishment.

"Doesn’t it look like Sekiya Takashi’s recipe?" Kikuchi Musashi, the little old man, gripped his beard, eyes wide.

Kasuga Shigeru’s brows twitched, "It’s definitely that recipe!"

After a moment of silence, Kikuchi Musashi let out an unpleasant laugh, squeezing out a sentence from his throat: "Hehe, does he plan to make egg custard with seafood soup? Takashi’s life recipe shines in the pairing of ’Imperial Hand-washed Kelp’ and ’Four-finned Bannerfish.’ Look now; he’s replaced them with ordinary kelp and common fish fin, discarding the shining point himself. Then, what’s the point of using this recipe?!"

"He has already lost!"

"In such an important shokugeki, to use someone else’s life recipe, ha, he is ultimately too young, lacking any foundation or accumulation!" Kikuchi Musashi narrowed his eyes, expressing disdain.

Xia Yu was busy packing the ingredients, once that was done, he grabbed the lid and sealed the clay pot tightly.

Afterwards, he placed a metal rack in the soup pot, put the clay pot on the rack, suspending it above the water surface to prevent any water from spilling into the clay pot.

Water protection is a particularly important step when using a steam cooker.

Then he closed the soup pot lid and stuffed the gap around the pot with a wet cloth, which would block the steam from escaping later. This was to speed up the soup-cooking process and save time, an essential step not to be missed.

"Done!"

The charcoal fire was burning fiercely. Xia Yu didn’t bring his own Heavenly Craft Wind Box. Or rather, the wind box was in the tool column, and it wouldn’t be prudent to take it out of thin air and arouse suspicion. He could only borrow a blower from the female lead’s house. Fortunately, he had plenty of experience using blowers in the past, and Xia Yu looked calm.

A whiff of tomato scent drifted over.

While controlling the heat, Xia Yu cast a wary glance at Lei Zhe across from him.

On the stove, there was a pot with two huge, orange-red tomatoes inside.

Just briefly blanched for about 30 seconds, Lei Zhe then removed the large tomatoes from the boiling water. With a gentle peel along the cross-cuts made earlier by his knife, the intact tomato skin was quickly separated. This was a trick to remove tomato skin, as any excess could affect the texture of the tomato sauce.

When the assistant delivered the ingredients, they also brought a knife case. Click, Lei Zhe opened the case and, as expected, the blades inside shimmered brightly. At a glance, the case was neatly arranged with at least twenty types of kitchen knives!

Lei Zhe took out a knife that looked like a fruit knife, with a wavy blade.

Thump thump thump!

The large tomato was dissected into fine dices. If you looked closely at the cutting board, there was almost no tomato juice spilled; the board was clean and tidy. This was a reflection of knife skills, filled with detail!

"Tomato knife!"

Xia Yu thought to himself, feeling a little shaken.

Compared to Chinese and Japanese knives, Western kitchen knives are more specialized, even spawning a knife designed exclusively for slicing tomatoes, which was what Lei Zhe was using.

Judging by Lei Zhe’s expression and demeanor while cooking, as well as that case of knives, everything was meticulous, serious to the core!

Although he looked down on Lei Zhe’s integrity, Xia Yu had to admit—

This veteran Lin Chef definitely had skills that could not be denied.

After obtaining a good amount of diced tomatoes, Lei Zhe began to cook them in a pot, as if making soup. He added a bit of oil, sprinkled some salt, white sugar, and covered it with the right amount of warm water to simmer. When nearly dry, the heat could be turned off.

Click!

The sound of the valve being turned off.

Lei Zhe, now fully engaged in his work, was swift and decisive. The previously prepared egg liquid was separated, with egg whites and yolks in different bowls. The egg yolks were mixed with milk, and when Lei Zhe took an unmarked bottle and poured out a white, milky liquid, a thick milky fragrance instantly hit them like a typhoon invading a house.

"This milk is no ordinary milk!" Everyone sniffed the scent and narrowed their eyes.

Lei Zhe curved his lips into an inexplicable smile and then took a fist-sized green lemon, slicing it with a special knife. He aimed at the bowl dedicated to the egg whites and squeezed in plenty of lemon juice.

Thus, another refreshing whirlwind roared forth!

As the egg whites and lemon juice mixed and the egg whites were whipped, the wild, primal flavors originally carried by the eggs formed a strong visual that spread in everyone’s minds.

The lush primordial field of flowers swayed in the wind, wave after wave of fragrant aromas blowing towards people. That scene was like running naked through the flower field, with blossoms and branches slapping on one’s face and body—a wild scent.

"Hmm?"

Xia Yu was paying attention, when suddenly his expression changed.

From the bowl of egg whites, faint, hardly visible smoke began to rise, seemingly due to some unknown reaction between the egg whites and the lemon juice.

Then he looked at the bowl where the milk was mixed with egg yolks.

"Hiss!"

He couldn’t help but inhale sharply, startled by what he saw.